2020 Zurich > Amsterdam

12 Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Welcome to Zurich

Start your journey with an overnight stay in Zurich.

Day 2 - Zurich > Lucerne > Bern

Repeatedly named the city with the best quality of life, Switzerland’s largest city Zurich is full of treasures and you’ll have the chance to discover them first-hand. Travel to Lucerne, overlooked by the magnificent Swiss Alp peaks of Mounts Pilatus and Rigi, before arriving in Bern for your overnight stay.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3 - Bern > Montreux

Ascend the Swiss Alps to the charming alpine village of Gstaad. Continue to Montreux for a luxurious two night stay, located on the shores of picturesque Lake Geneva

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4 - Montreux

Enrich

Delight in a panoramic train journey to Château-d’Œx. Upon arrival witness traditional cheese-making
at the Restaurant Le Chalet. The cheesemaker will transform milk into a hard cheese right in front of your eyes. At the end of the demonstration you’ll have an opportunity to taste the freshly made cheese.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 - Montreux > Basel

Journey to neighbouring Vevey, home to Charlie Chaplin once he’d fled the United States. Learn about one of the 20th century’s most celebrated artists during a visit to the Chaplin’s World Museum. From there, it’s on to Basel where a warm welcome awaits you from the crew of your Scenic Space-Ship. Your luxury cruise is about to begin and you’ll have the chance to raise your glass to the occasion at the evening’s welcome reception.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6 - Strasbourg, France/Mittelbergheim/Black Forest, Germany

Freechoice

This morning, venture ashore at Strasbourg, the capital of France’s wine-growing Alsace region. Our exploration begins with a tour of the canal-laced La Petite France district, where artisans lived and worked during the Middle Ages. Then stroll through the Old Town, designated a World Heritage site for its wealth of architectural gems, including half-timbered houses, Alsatian winstubs (taverns), and Strasbourg’s Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame. Alternatively, journey to the village of Mittelbergheim and sample some of the distinctive wines for which the Alsace region is known. Or enjoy a scenic hike through the Northern Black Forest through the lush woods passing old farm houses before reaching a "Schaps-fountain" where we can have a taste of some local Schnaps.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 - Heidelberg, Germany

Freechoice

Home to the oldest university in Germany, Heidelberg also boasts a rich literary history. Join a local guide on a tour of this delightful city, which inspired 19th-century German Romantics as well as Mark Twain, who recorded his observations of the city in A Tramp Abroad. Stroll through the Altstadt, or Old Town, and visit Heidelberg’s sandstone castle—a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. Or take a funicular up the hill, enjoying spectacular views as you hike back down to town. Alternatively, embark on an excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Grube Messel, a fossil site that was featured in a February 2000 National Geographic magazine story. “Ida,” the most perfectly preserved primate fossil in the world, was discovered here in 1983 and later analyzed by National Geographic Emerging Explorer Jorn Hurum and his team in 2009.

Enrich

This evening, enjoy a private concert at a baroque palace.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 - Rüdesheim/Koblenz

Arrive in Rüdesheim and board the Winzerexpress mini-train. Freechoice: At Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Cabinet, peruse a large collection of mechanical musical instruments, which includes a vast array of music boxes. Then ride a cable car high above the city to the Niederwald Monument, built between 1877 and 1883 to commemorate the unification of Germany. Alternatively, go hiking through the vineyards of Rüdesheim, enjoying picturesque views. This afternoon, our ship continues to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, often called the Rhine Gorge. This 40-mile stretch of river flows past medieval towns, castles, and vineyards, and has been designated a World Heritage site for its historical importance and natural beauty. Later, arrive in Koblenz.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 - Koblenz/Cochem

Freechoice

Spend the day exploring Koblenz, an ancient Roman city that straddles two of Europe’s most beautiful rivers—the Rhine and Moselle. Discover the highlights of the Old Town, including the 13th-century Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) and the 18th-century Rathaus (town hall), which was formerly a Jesuit college. Or venture to Cochem, a medieval gem situated on the banks of the Moselle. Discover this fairy-tale city on a guided tour that includes a visit to the 1,000-year-old Reichsburg Castle, which presides over the valley from a hilltop perch. Alternatively, you may opt to visit a winery or go biking along the river.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 - Cologne/Mettmann

The largest city on the Rhine, Cologne boasts an intriguing blend of ancient and modern architecture. Here, amid the cobblestoned streets of the Old Town, Roman ruins mix with Romanesque churches and contemporary museums.

Freechoice

Enjoy a scenic ride on Germany’s oldest cog railway and discover Schloss Drachenburg, or Dragon Castle, which overlooks the Rhine Valley. Or stroll through Cologne’s historic quarter and get up close to the filigreed twin towers of its Gothic cathedral—one of Germany’s most famous landmarks. Alternatively, visit the Neanderthal Museum in Mettmann, located in the valley where the bones of an Ice Age human—a Neanderthal—were recovered for the first time.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11 - Amsterdam, Netherlands/Volendam/Edam

Known as the “Venice of the North,” Amsterdam is a vibrant city with an arts scene that has flourished since the Middle Ages.

Freechoice

Cruise through the city’s picturesque canals, which form a ring of waterways that has collectively been designated a World Heritage site. You may instead choose to go biking on the outskirts of the city, or take a guided visit to the renowned Rijksmuseum to examine masterpieces including Rembrandt’s Night Watch. National Geographic’s book The 10 Best of Everything ranks the Rijksmuseum among the top 10 museums in the world. Alternatively, discover the fishing village of Volendam, with its unusual raised homes and quaint wooden church. Then head to charming Edam and sample some of the round cheese for which the village famous.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 - Amsterdam

After breakfast, disembark and transfer to the airport for your flight home.